Martial Dao: Starting from the Village Fungus God

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Battle Two Beasts

After subjugating the Black-Horned Bull, the column continued east.

Zhu Ge rode on Mazhu’s back, the Purgatory Star Rod in hand, his gaze periodically sweeping toward the horizon.

The Black-Horned Bull trotted at his side, having shrunk to the size of a common water buffalo. Its head hung low, an expression of utter despair on its face.

The reason was simple.

Zhu Ge was toying with it.

The Black-Horned Bull was incredibly cunning, and Zhu Ge had to make sure it wouldn’t turn tail and run the moment they entered a battlefield.

Behind Zhu Ge was an army of six thousand, a vast and mighty column kicking up clouds of dust.

"Palace Master Zhu, we’re approaching Mengzi City!" a Mechanism Master from the Mo Family came rushing from the vanguard. "Our reconnaissance puppets have been destroyed by Demon Beasts! Mengzi City is under siege!"

Zhu Ge looked up.

A plume of black smoke was rising on the distant horizon. Not cooking smoke—a signal fire.

"So there really is a battle!" Zhu Ge’s expression hardened. "All troops, accelerate!"

The army of six thousand quickened its pace, their footsteps like thunder, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

After cresting the final mountain ridge, the outline of Mengzi City appeared in their field of view.

Mengzi City’s construction was also quite distinctive.

Yuan Yang City was a city floating in the sky, and Jianshui City was shaped like a purple clay teapot.

Mengzi City, on the other hand, looked like a gigantic bowl of rice noodles. From within the bowl, strands of "noodles" extended toward the sky, held by a massive pair of chopsticks.

It looked as if an invisible giant were lifting the noodles, about to take a bite.

But at this moment, those "noodles" were actually thrashing about.

The chopsticks in the sky were motionless, but the noodles lashed out like whips, striking at the flying birds and beasts in the air.

And on the rim of that giant rice noodle bowl, which served as Mengzi City’s walls, countless figures were moving about. Soldiers were desperately fending off the Demon Beasts that swarmed them from all directions.

Outside the city, a black mass of Demon Beasts stretched as far as the eye could see.

Zhu Ge did a quick visual sweep; there were at least ten thousand of them.

Two Demon Beasts led the charge.

One was a giant tiger, golden from head to tail and the size of a small hill. It emanated a scorching aura, and the grass and trees in its path were all seared black.

The other was a giant python covered in dark green scales, coiled atop a patch of ruins east of the city. Its forked tongue flickered, and its eyes glinted with a sinister, cold light.

Two of them!

"Palace Master Zhu, there are at least ten thousand Demon Beasts!" Zhao Tieshan’s face paled as he spoke from nearby.

"And what if there are ten thousand?" Zhu Ge said calmly. "It’s not as if we haven’t fought this many before."

He raised a hand, and the army halted.

"Zhao Tieshan!"

"Here!"

"You will lead the Martial Artists and Soldier Daoist Soldiers. Form a Pyramidal Array and charge the Demon Beast horde head-on. Your objective is to tear through their front line and give the city’s defenders some breathing room."

"Yes!"

"Li Qingquan!"

"Here!"

"You will lead the Confucian Scholars. Follow behind the Martial Artists and bolster them with Literary Energy. Furthermore, Yu the Scholar will teach you to use the Slaughter Technique of the Gongyang Confucians. Aim for the Demon Beasts—all except the two leaders—and thin their ranks as much as possible."

"Yes!"

"Liu Jianjian!"

"Here!"

"Be ready to release the Sword and Axe Mantises at a moment’s notice. The instant those two leader beasts make a move, you will join me in finishing them off."

"Understood!"

Liu Jianjian and the others acknowledged their orders, and the army sprang into action.

Zhu Ge took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the Purgatory Star Rod.

"All troops, charge!"

The army of six thousand surged toward the Demon Beast horde like a flash flood from a broken dam.

The Martial Artists, bearing swords and shields, charged at the vanguard. The Confucian Scholars channeled their Literary Energy to support them, and the Soldiers advanced with a forest of spears, their steps in perfect unison.

On the distant city wall, a middle-aged man in a black robe stood upon the battlements, holding a Bone Staff. The head of the staff was inlaid with a dark-green orb that emanated a ghostly light.

His face was resolute, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and cracked lips. He had clearly not rested properly for a very long time.

But his back was ramrod straight, and his gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s.

He was at the Third Realm—the Third Realm of the Witch Dao.

"City Lord! An army has arrived outside the city!" His second-in-command pointed, his voice filled with delighted surprise.

The black-robed man whipped his head around to look.

An army clad in uniform black attire was charging the Demon Beast horde.

At the head of the column, a young man on a jade-green bamboo horse led the charge, wielding a silver-and-crimson rod.

"Who is that?" the man’s voice was hoarse and weary.

"I don’t know, but their banner reads ’Six Paths Palace’!" the second-in-command said excitedly. "City Lord, we’re saved!"

The man said nothing, his eyes fixed intently on the young man’s figure.

Meanwhile, Zhu Ge was at the very forefront of the charge.

His targets were the two Third Realm Demon Beasts.

As long as he could keep them occupied, the Demon Beast horde below would be like lambs to the slaughter.

"ROAR!!!"

The Golden Tiger let out a roar and charged toward Zhu Ge.

’A Golden Tiger? And a snake?’ Zhu Ge glanced at the massive, dark-green python.

The giant python’s forked tongue flickered, its eyes glinting with a sinister, cold light.

"A mere Second Realm weakling dares come to his death?" the giant python spoke in the human tongue, its voice bone-chillingly cold.

"We’ll see who’s here to die after we fight," Zhu Ge said. He tapped his toes, sprang from Mazhu’s back, and shot toward the giant python.

Light the Incense!

His figure became like smoke and mist, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air.

The giant python opened its cavernous maw and spewed a cloud of dark-green toxic mist.

Zhu Ge held his breath and swept his Purgatory Star Rod, scattering the toxic mist.

"Hmph!"

Wrathful Vajra Palm!

Zhu Ge smashed his rod down upon the giant python’s head.

CLANG—

It was the sound of metal striking metal.

The giant python’s scales were as hard as iron; Zhu Ge’s strike had only left a faint white mark.

"Is that all the strength you have?" the giant python sneered. Its tail whipped around, swatting Zhu Ge away.

Zhu Ge flipped several times in mid-air before landing steadily on his feet. He rubbed the arm that had taken the hit.

He’d barely felt it.

’Looks like mastering Wind Refining really does allow me to take a hit from a Third Realm opponent.’

’Such tough scales,’ he thought, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

He had barely used any strength just now; it had only been a probe.

BAM!

The Golden Tiger lunged to bite him, but Zhu Ge sent it flying with a swing of his rod.

He was facing two Third Realm Demon Beasts at once!

The Golden Tiger, sent flying by the blow, tumbled through the air several times. After landing, it shook its head, its golden pupils filled with utter shock.

The force of that blow was far greater than it had imagined.

"This human..." the Golden Tiger growled. Its golden fur stood on end as its scorching aura erupted like a volcano.

Zhu Ge paid it no mind, his gaze locked on the giant python.

"Light the Incense!"

His figure vanished on the spot.

’I’ll kill one of them first!’

’That way, I won’t even need the Sword and Axe Mantises to step in!’

HISS... The giant python’s pupils contracted, and its forked tongue flickered frantically.

It sensed danger, but Zhu Ge’s speed was too great—so great its eyes couldn’t follow him at all.

To its left.

Its tail swept out.

To its right.

Its head slammed down.

Zhu Ge’s smoky figure flickered unpredictably through the giant python’s attacks.

Each blow of his rod landed on the python’s scales, producing the dull clang of metal on metal. ree

Although he couldn’t break through the scales, the force penetrated them, making the giant python’s insides churn.

"Enough!"

The giant python roared in fury. All of its dark-green scales flared open, and from under each one sprayed a thick, toxic mist.

The toxic mist billowed out, instantly withering all vegetation for dozens of yards around and corroding the soil, turning it black.

The giant python then rose into the air, evading Zhu Ge’s pursuit.

Because Zhu Ge was only at the Second Realm! He couldn’t fly!

Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow at the sight. ’Right, I forgot I can’t fly.’

Just then, a voice called out from Mengzi City:

"Hold on, hero! I’m coming to help you!"